After vetoing him for Shaktimaan, Mukesh Khanna praises 'kamaal' Ranveer Singh for Dhurandhar: 'Actor acha hai'

Mukesh Khanna reviewed Aditya Dhar's Dhurandhar, reserving special praise for Ranveer Singh.

Dec 21, 2025, 13:29:38 IST

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He may have expressly shown his displeasure at the thought of Ranveer Singh playing his iconic character Shaktimaan, but Mukesh Khanna admits that Ranveer is a good actor. So much so that in a new video, the veteran actor praised Ranveer for his ‘kamaal’ performance in Dhurandhar.

Mukesh Khanna praised Ranveer Singh's performance in Dhurandhar.

Mukesh Khanna reviews Dhurandhar

Mukesh Khanna posted a new video about Dhurandhar and more on his YouTube channel on Saturday. In the video, he addressed Ranveer’s performance in the film, which has earned the actor acclaim. “I want to praise Dhurandhar’s hero Ranveer Singh. Aap kahenge ki aapne unko Shaktimaan ke liye mana kiya hai. To sahab, maine bhala Shaktimaan ke liye mana kiya ho par actor woh acha hai, maine hamesha kaha hai (You will say that I have said no to him for Shaktimaan. And yes, I have, but I have always said he is a good actor).”

The actor added, “Iss film me kamaal ki unki energy hai, kamaal ka unka josh dikhta hai. Unki brooding eyes, uske poore role me rawaangi hai (In this film, he has amazing energy and spirit. His brooding eyes are good, and his entire portrayal has sincerity).”

What was the Shaktimaan row?

Shaktimaan was a character created for TV in the 90s, and popularised by Mukesh Khanna in the iconic show. The superhero was set to be revived for a movie adaptation a few years ago, with the makers announcing Ranveer Singh as the new Shaktimaan. However, Mukesh Khanna, who owns the rights to the character, vetoed Ranveer, saying he was not fit to play the role due to his off-screen image.

All about Dhurandhar

Dhurandhar, directed by Aditya Dhar, is a spy thriller with Ranveer in the lead. The film also stars Akshaye Khanna, Arjun Rampal, R Madhavan, and Sanjay Dutt in pivotal roles, alongside Rakesh Bedi, Sara Arjun, and Danish Pandore. The film has been a runaway success at the box office, earning close to ₹800 crore worldwide.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Abhimanyu Mathur
Abhimanyu Mathur is Deputy Editor, Entertainment at Hindustan Times. With almost 15 years of experience in writing about everything from films and TV shows to cricket matches and elections, he inhales and exhales pop culture and news. Currently, he watches movies and TV shows and talks to celebrities for a living, while occasionally writing about them as well. A journalism graduate of Delhi College of Arts and Commerce, Delhi University, Abhimanyu began his career with Hindustan Times at the age of 20, swapping classrooms for newsrooms at an early age. He began his journey in the early days of digital journalism, later switching to the madness of print journalism. Work has led him to far off places like Japan and Jordan, as well as to the interiors of Haryana and the Indo-Pak border. He dabbled in city reporting in places like Meerut, Gurgaon, and Delhi, covered the Olympics and Cricket World Cups, before finding his calling in entertainment and lifestyle during the pandemic. A Rotten Tomatoes Certified Film Critic, he is equally at home covering stories on ground as he is interviewing celebrities and studios, and sometimes prefers to shepherd teams in delivering traffic through the day. Even as his role has evolved from reporter to supervisor over the years, his first love remains writing (and of late, talking on camera). With a good understanding of cinema and its trends, and a keen eye for detail, he continues to spark conversations around showbiz for readers around the world.Read More

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